Must-see restaurants in La Rochelle

  • Le Panier de Crabes

    La Rochelle

    The Basket of Crabs is, funnily enough, a self-proclaimed bistrot de gens de mer (seafarers' bistro) dishing up sensational Marennes d'Oléron oysters,…

  • André

    La Rochelle

    Opened in the 1950s as a waterfront seafood cafe, André grew so popular it began buying adjacent shops. It is now an eye-catching maze of eight different…

  • À la Gerbe de Blé

    La Rochelle

    Lunch local. Between 10am and 1pm buy a dozen oysters from one of the stands in front of the Marché Central, pay and ask for them to be shucked, then head…

  • Prao

    La Rochelle

    Named after the multi-hull proa (prao in French) sailboat typical to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, this hipster bistro takes great pride in the products…

  • Prao Café

    La Rochelle

    Across the street from the old-fashioned carousel that spins on the water edge is this hipster cafe. Seating is a mix of sage-green Fermob (pavement…

  • Le Comptoir Saoufé

    La Rochelle

    This shabby-chic oyster bar has been around for ions but remains the stand-out address to dine with locals on eatery-busy rue du Port. Two themed menus…

  • Le Boute en Train

    La Rochelle

    Quality French fare – including excellent fish – is the point fort of this always-packed bistro, walls plastered in an endearing decorative mix of…

  • Marché Central

    La Rochelle

    Every morning La Rochelle's 19th-century covered market bustles with stallholders selling fresh fruit and vegetables, fish splayed on beds of ice, meat…

  • Le Soleil Brille pour Tout Le Monde

    La Rochelle

    There's a distinctly bohemian air to The Sun Shines for Everyone, an organic restaurant cooking up savoury tarts packed with seasonal produce from the…

  • La Fleur de Sel

    La Rochelle

    A favourite Sunday-lunch address with discerning locals, Delphine and Bruno's whitewashed bistro on two floors has a signature mini wooden trough of rock…

  • Les 4 Sergents

    La Rochelle

    The eye-catching, Eiffel-style steel-and-glass verandah filled with gargantuan designer ceiling lamps, lush potted plants and beautiful white tablecloth…

  • La Petite Auberge

    La Rochelle

    Smart without being stuffy, this is a top-notch place for market-driven, French gourmet cuisine, much of which originates from the ocean depths. Try the…

  • Le Thiers Temps

    La Rochelle

    How does snail paella sound? Or perhaps a goat-cheese mousse mixed with salted butter from Brittany? Or a John Dory fish with a pea cheesecake? Yes, it's…